Nepal International Theatre Festival (NITFEST) has also started in Pokhara, Chitwan, and Belbari. The festival began on Saturday in Pokhara and on Sunday in Chitwan and Belbari. According to festival coordinator Kedar Shrestha, these three cities were included as parallel events to the ongoing festival in Kathmandu. The festival in Pokhara, being held at the Gandharva Theatre in Gairapatan, will run until Chaitra 13 (March-end).
The festival was inaugurated by Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya. Organized by Pokhara Theatre, the event will feature six plays from five countries, including Nepal, China, Japan, Tunisia, and Norway. Alongside the theatrical performances, the festival will also include cultural showcases, parades, workshops, and interactive activities.
Some international plays from NITFEST Kathmandu will also be staged at the Pokhara International Theatre Festival. Coordinator Kedar Shrestha mentioned that NITFEST has been collaborating with auditorium artists outside Kathmandu to organize parallel festivals since its first edition.
The NITFEST also commenced in Chitwan and Belbari on Sunday. In Belbari, the International Theatre Festival was inaugurated by Koshi Province MP Gyanendra Subedi, while in Chitwan, Bharatpur Metropolitan City Deputy Mayor Chitrasen Adhikari and artist Bijay Baral jointly inaugurated the event.
These festivals will run for three days and will feature both Nepali and international plays. In Belbari, six plays from Nepal, India, and Japan will be staged, along with performances by local and student auditorium groups, as informed by festival director Bikash Budhathoki. Similarly, in Chitwan, five foreign plays from Nepal, India, Japan, Iran, and Lithuania will be showcased, along with performances by local theatre groups, according to festival director Pradeep Anjan.
Both festivals will also include painting exhibitions, poetry recitations, cultural displays, and interactive discussions. The Belbari festival is organized by Belbari Pragya Pratisthan, while the Chitwan festival is jointly hosted by three organizations: Karmi Chautari, Narayani Kala Mandir, and Tarang Natya Samuha.
The events of the Belbari International Theatre Festival are taking place at Tamu Buddhist Monastery in Belbari-1, while all activities of the First Chitwan International Theatre Festival are being held at the Narayani Kala Mandir premises.
Sunday marks the fifth day of the ongoing NITFEST in Kathmandu at Mandala Theatre. The festival will feature performances including Japan’s Master Shoko and Margarita, India’s Tamasha, Playback Theatre’s Wisdom of Life, and outdoor performances like Sounds of Mandala and Mac of Magic.
Additionally, the festival will host a discussion session in the afternoon titled Artistic Policies in Politics, featuring politicians Sudan Kirati, Ram Kumari Jhakri, Thakur Gaire, and Pratima Gautam. The session will be moderated by independent journalist Prabhakar Gautam.
Each day of the festival concludes with an evening event featuring music, dance, or poetry performances. Organized by Mandala Theatre, NITFEST in Kathmandu began on Wednesday and will continue until Chaitra 12 (March-end).
